The Tennis Thread - Part 2

[Kaleb]

Men's Wimbledon first round matches:

Novak Djokovic (SRB x1) v Florian Mayer (GER)

Bobby Reynolds (USA) v Steve Johnson (USA)

Blaz Kavcic (SLO) v Jan-Lennard Struff (GER)

Ryan Harrison (USA) v Jeremy Chardy (FRA x28)

Gilles Simon (FRA x19) v Feliciano Lopez (ESP)

Ricardas Berankis (LTU) v Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA)

Wayne Odesnik (USA) v Jimmy Wang (TPE)

Dmitry Tursunov (RUS) v Tommy Haas (GER x13)

Richard Gasquet (FRA x9) v Marcel Granollers (ESP)

Andreas Haider-Maurer (AUT) v Go Soeda (JPN)

James Blake (USA) v Thiemo de Bakker (NED)

Bernard Tomic (AUS) v Sam Querrey (USA x21)

Kevin Anderson (RSA x27) v Olivier Rochus (BEL)

Philipp Petzschner (GER) v Michal Przysiezny (POL)

Daniel Brands (GER) v Daniel Gimeno Traver (ESP)

Martin Klizan (SVK) v Tomas Berdych (CZE x7)

David Ferrer (ESP x4) v Martin Alund (ARG)

Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) v Teymuraz Gabashvili (RUS)

Horacio Zeballos (ARG) v Santiago Giraldo (COL)

Gastao Elias (POR) v Alexandr Dolgoplov (UKR x26)

Milos Ranoic (CAN x17) v Carlos Berlocq (ARG)

Alex Kuznetsov (USA) v Igor Sijsling (NED)

James Duckworth (AUS) v Denis Kudla (USA)

Ivan Dodig (CRO) v Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER x16)

Kei Nishikori (JPN x12) v Matthew Ebden (AUS)

Leonardo Mayer (ARG) v Aljaz Bedene (SLO)

Michael LLodra (FRA) v Jarkko Nieminen (FIN)

Denis Istomin (UZB) v Andreas Seppi (ITA x23)

Grigor Dimitrov (BUL x29) v Simone Bolelli (ITA)

Grega Zemlja (SLO) v Michael Russell (USA)

Guido Pella (ARG) v Jesse Levine (CAN)

Albert Ramos (ESP) v Juan Martin del Potro (ARG x8)

Rafael Nadal (ESP x5) v Steve Darcis (BEL)

Lukasz Kubot (POL) v Igor Andreev (RUS)

Stephane Robert (FRA) v Alejandro Falla (COL)

Adrian Ungur (ROM) v Benoit Paire (FRA x25)

John Isner (USA x18) v Evgeny Donskoy (RUS)

Pablo Andujar (ESP) v Adrian Mannarino (FRA)

Dustin Brown (GER) v Guillermo Garcia Lopez (ESP)

Lleyton Hewittt (AUS) v Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI x11)

Nicolas Almagro (ESP x15) v Jurgen Zopp (EST)

Marinko Matosevic (AUS) v Guillaume Rufin (FRA)

Radek Stepanek (CZE) v Matt Reid (AUS)

Kyle Edmund (GBR) v Jerzy Janowicz (POL x24)

Fabio Fognini (ITA x30) v Jurgen Melzer (AUT)

Julian Reister (GER) v Lukas Rosol (CZE)

Rogerio Dutra Silva (BRA) v Sergiy Stakhovsky (UKR)

Victor Hanescu (ROM) v Roger Federer (SUI x3)

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA x6) v David Goffin (BEL)

Edouard Roger-Vasselin (FRA) v Ernests Gulbis (LAT)

Fernando Verdasco (ESP) v Xavier Malisse (BEL)

Tobias Kamke (GER) v Julien Benneteau (FRA x31)

Juan Monaco (ARG x22) v Bastian Knittel (GER)

Lukas Lacko (SVK) v Rajeev Ram (USA)

Kenny de Schepper (FRA) v Paolo Lorenzi (ITA)

Marcos Baghdatis (CYP) v Marin Cilic (CRO x10)

Janko Tipsarevic (SRB x14) v Viktor Troicki (SRB)

Andrey Kuznetsov (RUS) v Albert Montanes (ESP)

Marc Gicquel (FRA) v Vasek Pospisil (CAN)

Robin Haase (NED) v Mikhail Youzhny (RUS x20)

Tommy Robredo (ESP x32) v Alex Bogmolov (RUS)

Nicolas Mahut (FRA) v Jan Hajek (CZE)

James Ward (GBR) v Lu Yen-Hsun (TPE)

Benjamin Becker (GER) v Andy Murray (GBR x2)[/QUOTE]

Hmm nothing really sticks out for me apart from the ones that I highlighted , hoping to catch some highlights of these matches.

 

[Sakuraba]

Hewitt-Wawrinka, Tomic-Querrey, Simon-Lopez, Tsonga-Goffin are all pretty good first rounders as well.

This tourney will be good early. I kinda think the first round looks better than the potential 2nd round matches

 

[runawayboulder]

I don't watch tennis but I saw Sharapova's response to Serena's comments about the Stuebenville rape case.........she slammed her BIG TIME. Caaaaaaaaaaaaattttttt fiiiiiiiiiiggggghhhhhtttt!!!!!!

 

[Sakuraba]

I thought it was funny because the exception that people took with Serena Williams interview was the part where she was blaming the victim in a rape case. That's an obvious no-no and Serena was being edgy in an entirely wrong way.

The exception that Maria Sharapova took with the Rolling Stone interview had nothing to do with the rape commentary but the fact that Serena called her boring and not cool and said her boyfriend is a jerk.

It's funny because I think saying Sharapova doesn't get invited to the cool parties is maybe one of the most hurtful things you can say to her.

Anyway, ball's in your court Serena.

 

[Sakuraba]

Incidentally, the third wheel affected by this is Dimitrov, and this is probably not what he needs to be concerned with as he heads into Wimbledon with as good a draw as he'll see at this point.

 

[Frico]

Serena/Sloane had a a beef and now Serena and Maria's already pending beef has gone full blown. Honestly though on the part of Serena she's acted childish on both ocassions. First it was the "I made you" comment to Stephens then proceeding to close all ends on their friend/mentorship. Because she beat her in the Quarters of the AO? Then this whole "cool parties" thing to Maria and targeting Grigor, etc.

She's 31 years old and the number one player in the world. I don't mind some drama here and there but this ain't high school. It all looks so petty. All these cheap shots for what? I totally agree when Maria says Serena has better things to be talking about. The majority of people on twitter seem to agree as well.

 

[Frico]

BTW I'm picking Nadal to win Wimby with possibly Murray as a second choice. Can it just be Monday already?

 

[Frico]

Also, lol. Mouratoglou responded to Sharapova by saying "I'm just here for tennis." Basically trying to play off her comments as though he and Serena are nothing more then coach and player.

...

Beg to differ there, Patrick.

 

[Kaleb]

 

[Hotwire]

Also, lol. Mouratoglou responded to Sharapova by saying "I'm just here for tennis." Basically trying to play off her comments as though he and Serena are nothing more then coach and player.

...

Beg to differ there, Patrick.

Lucky man to touch that magnificent backside!

 

[Frico]

Soooooo is it too late to change my pick of Rafa winning Wimby? lol

Darcis up two sets and playing some serious ball.

 

[Kaleb]

Rafa doesn't seem to be in it,oh and Darcis looks like Prince William.

 

[Kaleb]

Wowww how inredible was that

 

[Frico]

Wow. Last year Rosol ended Rafa with an ace and Darcis just did the same. Disappointing loss for Rafa especially in the first round but Darcis was the better man from the get go.

Fed/Djoker final anyone?

 

[Frico]

LOL, man I love twitter during Grand Slams:

"Not a good day to be seeded 5 today #Nadal #Errani" Errani went out to Monica Puig (who I think is effing cute )

Interesting day 1 so far. Can't wait for Wawrinka/Hewitt.

 

[Sakuraba]

Man, sometimes I hate having a job. I'll be back later with about ten paragraphs.

 

[chamber-music]

Nadal out already WTF

I get the feeling someone outside the mens top 5 might win this year

 

[Frico]

Bummed Wawrinka lost as he's been having a tremendous season but you've got to admire the everlasting fight in Hewitt. Still playing great tennis and his passion for the sport is as big as ever.

 

[Sakuraba]

Still haven't seen the match yet, but I'm headed home now.

I guess it kinda goes back to what Bim was saying about Nadal on grass. We've kind of lost sight of the fact that his phenomenal comeback results have take place entirely on clay and Indian Wells, which has some of the slowest hardcourts around. Nadal is a frighteningly bad 2-3 the past two years on grass. The temptation is to say that Nadal just ran into someone with a hot hand two years in a row. These lowly players can be hot for minute but then the Champion makes an adjustment or two, digs in, and wins.

I'm not prepared to say Nadal is injured or limited, but there's been this notion that he can play as much as he likes on clay and it doesn't hurt his knees. It's true that clay is an easier surface on your joints than asphault, but Nadal plays more matches than anyone during the clay season, and a million long rallies.

The thing that I'll be watching for is Nadal, in his efforts to fend off Djokovic to remain the dominant force in clay court tennis, hasn't fallen back into some clay court specialist mentalities, habits that he's having a difficult time breaking in the turnaround on grass. He's still playing like he has time to make up space and run around his backhand consistently, and the grass takes that time away. The points are dynamic and short, and Nadal doesn't seem fit for that type of game playing well beyond the baseline. He's got spacing issues.

Also, what happened to his big first serve? He was consistently serving in the 120s and over 130 against Rosol last year, today he was serving in the 110 range.

 

[Kaleb]

oh man, I just heard about Steve Darcis pulling out of Wimbledon due to shoulder injury.

 

[Sakuraba]

There's been a rash of withdrawals and injuries. And now people are blaming the grass. Apparently, it's too slick! Like, who would have ever thought grass would be slippery. It's giving me flashbacks to blue clay. Because it's not like every single other court on tour, it's a problem.

 

[Sakuraba]

Sharapova is on death's door and the big story of the match is that she and her opponent are loud. That's all Mike Tirico and Chris Evert can talk about. It's not even grunting, it's screaming with every shot. It doesn't bother me so much, but do we really have to yelp on blocked back returns? Is an audible discharge necessary hitting volleys?

 

[Sakuraba]

I also thought Isner's comments about how disappointing his injury is because he's so hard to beat on grass to be delusional. He's vultured Newport a few years now, and his best win ever on grass was against a 900 year old and shop worn Lleyton Hewitt.

 

[Sakuraba]

Sharapova is gone. Tsonga quit down two sets to one against ERNESTS.

Isn't grass great? Week one actually has quality, must see tennis.

ESPN and Chris Evert are just in shock. They can't believe Sharapova lost! Maybe because she has no variety in her game, she's the epitome of the generic power baseliner, and she hasn't had a serve since 2006. When something doesn't work, just hit harder.

 

[Sakuraba]

Cahill brings some quality analysis about how Federer takes a lot of small steps and how that enables him to float around quickly on the grass. You get these players like Sharapova and Azarenka who take these long strides and then try to plant one foot to reverse course and WHOOPS they fall on their ass.

Federer-Stakhovsky has been really good thus far.